Improvement in spring-braces and cups for carriages



illustrate my invention.

' Nrrn E. J. GREEN, on yALPAnAiso, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPRING-smoes AND CLIPS Fon-omaal/aees.4

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 13,0HP, dated June?, 17864.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, E. J. GREEN, of Vat paraiso, in the countyr of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Spring-Brace and Clip Jfor Carriage Springs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description oi' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,y making a part ot' this specification, in which- Acnr in the separate figures, denote like parts in all the drawings.

` The object and purpose of my invention isf twofold. First, it is designed for keeping the spring in a perpendicular position, so that it will not sag by the pitching of the body of' the carriage when the wheels run into, against, or over obstructions; and,seeondly,' in firmly securing the spring to the head-block by the 'spring-brace and a clip combined.

Several devices have been essaye'd for bracA ing an elliptic spring to keep it in perpendicular position; but they have failed to accomplish the purpose and are not in use, though such a thing is very niucli desired. The most commonway is by a rod extending from the top of the spring and fastened to the rear of the carriage; but this allows the spring to work in the are of a' circle, and of course out ot' a perpendicular line, and theleast varia-- tion from a vertical line increases rather than diminishes the evil. Toggle or elbow levers have been used also in connection with a brace or rod; The ordinary wear of such contrivanees in a short time allows the spring to work out of its vertical line, and it pitches forward. So, too, a brace has been used with one foot of it fastened to the reach and the other foot to the spring and headblocli, the brace being ot' an inverted-V shape or forni; but iii this case the top of the brace is not supported, and will spring or yield, and thus allow the spring to play out of its vertical line. Y

My invention consists in an inverted, ilarfastened to the reach, and extending over and beyond the perch. Its other foot is fastened to the fifth-wheel or to a .projection beyond the head-bloeit, so that it will brace both ways,

and in connection with this bow-shaped brace a vertical guide-rod, braced or secured at both its top and bottom, for the spring to move up and down by, thus forcing it to play in a vertical line; and my invention consists, secondly, in combining, with the bow-shaped brace and guide-rod for insuring a true vertical movement ot the sprin g and preventing it from saggin g, a clip for trmly holding the spring to the head-block. 4

To enable others skilled in the artto make and use `my invention, I will proceed to de,

scribe the same with reference to `thedrawings. A lrepresent-s the reach of a carriage, to

Whichis secured the head block B, upon which the spring (l is supported. D is a ring secured to the head-block reach, and extending forward of the forward line of each. This ring constitutes a part of what is termed the lifth-wheeL? f i E is an inverted-U or bow shaped brace which sets over the perch F and spring O, one

of its legs being fastened, as at a, to the reach, and its other leg fastened, as at b, to the fifthwheel D; or the reach may extend far enough in front of the head-block toreceive-thisfoot and fastening b. A A y G is a. guide-rod, fastened at its upper end,

as at c, to the crown Jof the brace E, and' shouldered so as to rest upon the upper clipplate, EL as at d, and fastened to the `lower clip-plate,l, as at c, so that it stands in a vertical line and close tothe spring C. To the top portion of the spring U, and at about .its center, there is fastened a plate,./', having a hole through it, through which the guide rod G passes; and the spring in playing' up and vdown must conform to the Vertical position of this rod, which is fastened at bot-h ot' yits ends tightly, and thus avoids all shaking or loose motion. f

The lower clip-plate, l, has one of its ends, g, bent up at right angles, and this benbup end passes through the reach and through the top clip-plate, H, Where'it is secured by a nut, h, and by these plates and rod and bent end, and their supports and fastenings, the

ing, or U shaped brace, one. foot of which is l spring is [irmly held tothe head-bloclr.

and

Having thus fully described my invention, l 2. Ineoinbil'mt'ion with the brace .and the what I claim therein as new, and desire to seguide-rod, the clip-plates ,E I7 for securely 'eure by Letters Patent, is; y fasteninglthe spring to the headblock, subl. In combination with the bow-shaped stantiall'y asdescribed. brace E secured as herein described, the 1 guide-rod G andAgude-platef, for keeping the E' J' GREEN' spring in a vertical positin as it plays under Witnesses:

its superinenmbent load, substanti'aly as dev J. J. CARPENTER, fscribed'. l W. J. BARNES. 

